Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Libya and Tunisia: Borders

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the closure of the Ras Jedir border crossing.

David Rutley: The Ras Jedir border crossing was closed in both Libya and Tunisia because of recent security disturbances. The UK is monitoring the situation to ensure that we are able to respond appropriately. To foster long-term stability and address the drivers of conflict in Libya, the UK is working alongside our regional and international partners in support of the UN process.

Khalifa Haftar

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what report he has received of HM Ambassador to Libya’s meeting with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

David Rutley: The British Ambassador to Libya met Khalifa Haftar on 18 March, the discussion focused on the need for engagement with the UN's political process. The UK is committed to supporting progress on the political process as an essential step to ensuring Libya's long-term stability, security and prosperity.

Israel: Hamas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2023 to Question 17856 on Israel: Hamas, when he last made an assessment of Israel's (a) capability and (b) commitment to International Humanitarian Law.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Hodge Hill, during the Urgent Question on Israel and Gaza of 19 March 2024, Official Report, column 820, how many occasions he has (a) received and (b) made a Statement to the House on the Law Officers' advice in relation to the Israeli Government's compliance with international humanitarian law.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have previously assessed that Israel is committed and capable of complying with International Humanitarian Law. We regularly review our assessment.

Gaza: Food Supply

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee’s report entitled Famine Review Committee: Gaza Strip, March 2024 – Conclusions and Recommendations, published on 18 March 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is doing all it can to get as much food into Gaza as possible. We recently announced that more than 2,000 tonnes of UK-funded food aid are being distributed by the World Food Programme on the ground. This is our largest delivery of aid to Gaza in this crisis. This follows 750 tonnes of UK funded food aid arriving in Gaza in December, delivered through the World Food Programme, followed by a second delivery of 315 tonnes in January.We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.

East Africa: Disinformation

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what support his Department is providing to partners in East Africa to tackle Kremlin-backed online disinformation campaigns.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has consistently made clear that malign activity by Russia and its proxies, including disinformation campaigns, exploits and exacerbates instability in sub-Saharan Africa. We draw on a range of levers to strengthen security and stability in sub-Saharan Africa. HMG is working with regional and international partners to coordinate activity to counter Russian disinformation and broader foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) targeting African audiences. We also support our African partners through strategic security and defence relationships with countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, coordinating closely with likeminded states and international organisations.

North Korea: Human Rights

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of progress on human rights in North Korea since the publication of the UN Report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea -­ A/HRC/25/63.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as documented by the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the country. The UK has responded to the report's recommendations by continuing to press for an annual debate in the UN Security Council, and working to secure a robust resolution on the DPRK at the UN Human Rights Council. On 17 August 2023, at the first UNSC open meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK since 2017, the UK highlighted inextricable links between the DPRK's human rights violations and its illegal weapons programme, and called on the DPRK to engage with the UN Special Rapporteur. This year, the UK will again work closely with partners to secure a strong resolution which stresses the importance of following-up recommendations from the COI Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the DPRK.

Papua: Civil Liberties

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help promote freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in West Papua, in the context of recent reports of political imprisonment in that region.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government remains committed to upholding and defending human rights, freedom of speech and equality at home and oversees. We are aware of increased tensions in the Papua region and we continue to monitor developments closely. We have raised the issue of Papua with the Indonesian Embassy in London. Officials from the British Embassy in Jakarta visited Papua in March 2022 and met with officials, police, local business, human rights defenders, environmentalists and religious leaders. They also visited the region in February and July 2023.

China: Fisheries

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of fishing by China’s state-sponsored distant water fleet in the (a) Andaman Sea and (b) Gulf of Thailand.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK is committed to engaging with other countries, including China, to sustainably manage fisheries, protect ecosystems and combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. We support ocean protection through appropriate funding. For example, at the G7 Leaders Summit in Cornwall, the Government pledged £500 million to create our Blue Planet Fund to help developing countries protect the ocean from pollution, overfishing and habitat loss. We also push for multilateral action internationally, including through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, the Convention of Biological Diversity and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. The UK remains committed to international law and UNCLOS.China is building a network of fishing bases in developing countries across four continents. Comprising ports, boats, and fish processing plants, the bases service China's distant-water fleet: an armada of over 4,600 vessels (potentially many more) that operates in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of 42 countries and accounts for 14 percent of worldwide marine catch by value.

Development Aid: Polio

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the correspondence from the WHO Director for Polio Eradication to the Minister of State for Development and Africa of 19 March 2024, if he will take steps to increase funding for programmes for the eradication of polio.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is proud to be a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), having contributed £1.4 billion since 1995. Building strong and resilient health systems and reducing the risk of future global health threats are priorities for the UK. The UK is committed to being a supportive partner to the GPEI in the future and will take every opportunity to ensure every child everywhere is safe from Polio.

Papua: Biofuels

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed bio-ethanol food estate in West Papua on (a) the environment and (b) local (i) communities and (ii) ecosystems.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government is aware of proposals for the Food and Energy Estate programme in Merauke. We work closely with the Government of Indonesia to help increase the sustainability of commodity production, including by limiting deforestation and other environmental impacts, and supporting local communities' access to livelihoods.

Thailand: Fisheries

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the fisheries transparency reforms introduced by Thailand's government in 2015 on fish stocks in the region.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with representatives of Thailand's government on its proposed fishing reforms.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are monitoring developments regarding proposals to reform Thailand's Fisheries Act and are engaging with relevant organisations to understand the potential impact of these reforms. The UK complies with its international obligations to maintain labour, maritime and environmental standards, and we encourage other countries to do the same.

Indonesia: Indigenous Peoples

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Indonesia on the rights of indigenous tribes in the context of the dismissed lawsuit brought by the Auyu tribe against palm oil development in Tanah Merah.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK has regular dialogue with the Government of Indonesia on forestry and land use (FOLU) issues, including through its Memorandum of Understanding on FOLU issues signed in 2022. The Second Permanent Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office visited Indonesia in February 2024 and met with conservation organisations, civil society groups and business owners to observe efforts to progress sustainable forestry policy.

Papua: Internally Displaced People

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the number of internally-displaced people in West Papua since December 2018; and whether his Department is taking diplomatic steps to help support those people.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We continue to monitor the ongoing issue of internal civilian displacement caused by clashes between separatists and Indonesian security forces in Papua. We have raised our concerns with the Indonesian Embassy in London. Officials from the British Embassy in Jakarta have also visited Papua in March 2022 and met with officials, police, local business, human rights defenders, environmentalists and religious leaders. Embassy officials also visited the region again in February and July 2023.The UK's longstanding position is to respect the territorial integrity of Indonesia, which includes the region of Papua. Within this framework, we strongly support the efforts of the Indonesian authorities and civil society to address the legitimate concerns of the people of Papua, including strengthening human rights protections, providing humanitarian assistance and ensuring that all Papuans benefit from the sustainable and equitable development of their province.

Indonesia: Demonstrations

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Indonesia on the use of excessive force by security personnel during protests.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We regularly monitor ongoing tensions in the event of large-scale protests in Indonesia. Protests following the election on 14 February in Jakarta have been significantly smaller and more peaceful than those seen following previous elections. We have worked throughout the electoral process to support civil society in strengthening Indonesia's democracy.

Russia: Sanctions

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with international partners on strengthening multilateral approaches to prevent the circumvention of sanctions against Russia through third countries.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK coordinates closely with the EU, US, G7 and other international partners to tackle circumvention via multilateral fora and strategic consultations. Senior officials attend the Sanctions Coordinators Forum in Brussels, most recently in February 2024 focusing on strengthening enforcement of Russia sanctions. With the EU, US and Japan we have agreed a list of 50 Common High Priority items; battlefield-critical components we are targeting through joint diplomatic engagement with third countries. With the US and EU we have jointly engaged with the UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, and Serbia, to highlight circumvention risks and offer technical support.

Azerbaijan: Motor Vehicles

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking steps with counterparts in Azerbaijan to track the final destinations of UK exported vehicles.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK has banned the direct export of thousands of goods to Russia, including luxury vehicles. UK Regulations also prohibit the circumvention of our sanctions. We have been clear to UK business that they need to satisfy themselves that their goods will not end up in Russia. With EU and US partners, we are engaging a range of third countries to reduce the risk of sanctioned goods reaching Russia.

Vietnam: Politics and Government

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of political instability in Vietnam.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We closely monitor political developments in Vietnam, including the recent resignation of President Vo Van Thuong. The UK continues to work with Vietnam and other partners across the Indo-Pacific on long-term strategic priorities such as energy transition and adaptation to climate change, maritime security in line with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, illegal immigration, deepening trade, technology and investment co-operation, and on education and research partnerships.

India: Elections

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Indian counterpart on Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party's receipt of donations through the electoral bond scheme in the context of the Indian Supreme Court's ruling on that matter in February 2024.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: In February 2024, the relevant Supreme Court of India judgment included an order to publish electoral bond data. Since then, the data, provided by the State Bank of India (SBI), has been published by the Election Commission.

Hong Kong: Human Rights

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the potential impact of Article 23 on the (a) civil liberties and (b) human rights of people in Hong Kong.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he plans to take to support UK (a) nationals and (b) businesses in Hong Kong, in the context of the external interference offence included in the Article 23 legislation passed in Hong Kong on 19 March 2024.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Hong Kong is required to ensure national security legislation complies with international standards and upholds rights and freedoms, as set out in the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, and international law. Hong Kong's reputation as an international city was founded on respect for the rule of law, the independence of its institutions, its high degree of autonomy, and protection of the rights and freedoms afforded to all people living and working there. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, rushed through the legislative process despite its significance, will have far-reaching implications for all of these areas. That is why the Foreign Secretary on 19 March urged the Hong Kong authorities to respect rights and freedoms and act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations. We continue to analyse the extent of the impact this will have on British nationals and businesses in Hong Kong, and have updated our Travel Advice and Overseas Business Risk accordingly.

Hong Kong: Asylum

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether Ministers in his Department have plans to meet with Hong Kong activists (a) Nathan Law, (b) Finn Lau and (c) Christopher Mung.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK. Officials in Hong Kong, Beijing and London have raised the issuing of arrest warrants and bounties for these individuals with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. As the Foreign Secretary said on 14 December, the Hong Kong Police are deliberately targeting individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression. We have called for the repeal of the National Security Law and continue to make clear our strong objections, including to its extraterritorial reach. That extends to the decisions by the Hong Kong Police to issue arrest warrants and bounties for activists. We call on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law and end its persecution of political activists.

Hong Kong: Civil Liberties

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the passing of Article 23 in Hong Kong.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Hong Kong's reputation as an international city was founded on respect for the rule of law, the independence of its institutions, its high degree of autonomy, and protection of the rights and freedoms afforded to all people living and working there. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, rushed through the legislative process despite its significance, will have far-reaching implications for all of these areas. That is why the Foreign Secretary on 19 March urged the Hong Kong authorities to respect rights and freedoms and act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations.

Department for Education

Schools: Buildings

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2023 to Question 519 on Schools: Buildings, what progress her Department has made on the system-built block assessment; and whether she has made an estimate of the number of schools where safety issues have been raised.

Damian Hinds: The department follows Health and Safety Executive guidance on building safety issues, and monitors reports from Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures, the Institution of Structural Engineers, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for any bulletins on safety that may impact the school estate. Where the department is alerted to significant safety issues with a building that cannot be managed with local resources, the department provides additional support on a case-by-case basis. There are no areas within schools open to pupils where there is a known immediate safety issue. The department is working with the sector to establish a research study of several system-built frame types to establish how these buildings will age. Following the National Audit Office’s recommendation in their June 2023 report on Condition of School Buildings, the department is consulting external academic and other experts on the proposed research into system-built blocks through a workshop in late March 2024.

Parents

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of parenting programmes on (a) levels of expenditure associated with (i) child and adult mental health and (ii) youth anti-social behaviour and (b) the proportion of parents able to return to the workplace as a result of a reduction in school refusal rates.

David Johnston: The department is clear that parents should do everything they can to ensure that their child is in school every day. Regular school attendance is vital for children’s attainment, mental wellbeing and long-term development. It is crucial that the department has a system of support in place to ensure every child attends school every day, ready to learn and thrive.The government’s ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ guidance, which will become statutory ahead of the next school year, includes a core set of functions that local authority attendance support staff, whether titled education welfare officers, attendance officers or early help practitioners, are expected to provide free of charge to all schools and funded centrally through the Central Schools Service Block and Supporting Families Grant. Some early adopters have reported benefits from integrating attendance into other services, and providing better, more joined up whole family support, that has the potential to reduce demand for higher cost crisis services over time.The department’s attendance mentors pilot sees mentors supporting a group of persistently absent pupils and their families, on a one-to-one basis, to help identify and address their barriers to education. The department has had positive feedback from parents, pupils and schools who have engaged with the attendance mentors programme and have started to see some promising impact data. The department has recently announced an additional investment of £15 million to expand mentoring into ten new areas over the next three years.The government’s Supporting Families programme continues to work with families where attendance issues are a significant concern. ‘Getting a good education’ is a headline indicator in the national Supporting Families Outcomes Framework, which requires sustained good attendance for all children in the family, across two consecutive school terms. It is important that those identifying attendance issues begin to explore and identify any issues which may be behind the attendance problems, including any needs and circumstances in the wider family as part of Early Help Assessment processes.The department’s reforms are starting to make a difference. There were 440,000 fewer pupils persistently absent or not attending in 2022/23 than in the year before. Overall absence during the 2023/24 autumn term was 6.8%, down from 7.5% in the 2022/23 autumn term.Alongside this, the department is currently considering options for widening access to parenting support through family hubs and is undertaking assessments of the effectiveness and value for money of evidence-based parenting programmes, as well as other forms of support for parents. As part of this work to inform future fiscal events, the department will consider the downstream economic impacts of parenting programmes.

Foster Care: Lincolnshire

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of foster care placements in (a) South Holland district and (b) Lincolnshire.

David Johnston: Lincolnshire County Council is participating in the £45 million Families First for Children Pathfinder, which came out of the department’s children’s social care implementation strategy Stable Homes, Built on Love. The pathfinder aims to rebalance children’s social care away from costly crisis intervention to more meaningful and effective early support. As part of the pathfinder, the department is working with a select number of local areas to test significant changes to how local areas help children and young people. This includes increasing support at the earlier end of the system, with the aim of keeping children with birth parents or wider family where safe to do so. This will help to reduce the number of children looked after and therefore drive down demand for foster care or other placements. There is support available from the department where children are unable to stay with their birth families and foster care placements are sought. Lincolnshire County Council are being supported by the Fosterlink support service. Fosterlink provides support for local authorities to improve the way they recruit foster carers by reviewing current processes to identify areas for service and practice improvements, as well as creating a national network in which to share best practice. More broadly, the department is investing over £36 million this parliament to deliver a fostering recruitment and retention programme, so foster care is available for more children who need it. This will boost approvals of foster carers, as well as taking steps to retain the foster carers we have. Greater financial support for foster carers will help improve the experiences of all children in care. For the second year running, the department is uplifting the National Minimum Allowance (NMA) above the rate of inflation. For 2024/2025, the NMA will increase by 6.88%. This is on top of a 12.43% NMA increase in 2023/24. In addition, the department estimates that changes to tax and benefit allowances will give the average foster carer an additional £450 per year as well as simplifying the process for self-assessment returns for most foster carers. The department will also build on this investment since 2014 of over £8 million to help embed the Mockingbird programme, an innovative model of peer support for foster parents and the children in their care where children benefit from an extended family environment.

Schools: Buildings

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the number of children learning in the 15% of the school estate with the greatest repair need.

Damian Hinds: The first ever review of the condition of the school estate was the Property Data Survey, which was carried out between 2012 and 2014, and covered 85% of the school estate. This government introduced the Condition Data Collection (CDC), the first ever comprehensive survey of the school estate and one of the largest data collection programmes of its kind in Europe. Almost all government funded schools in England were visited as part of CDC during 2017 to 2019. Thanks to the department’s evidence led approach, following the James Review of Capital in 2011, this government has been able to allocate capital funding based on consistent data on condition need. This is the first UK government in history to allocate capital funding based on a national assessment of condition need. The department’s plan to ensure schools are well maintained is working. CDC2, the successor programme to CDC, is underway and is due to complete in 2026. Early indications of the department’s CDC2 data collection to date, and feedback from responsible bodies, shows that in almost every case where a D grade component was identified in the CDC1 report, it has since been addressed. CDC uses floor area of buildings rather than pupil numbers as a consistent approach to assessing buildings. Key findings from the CDC1 programme can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Department for Education: Legal Costs

Pat McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total cost to the public purse was of legal (a) support and (b) representation to Ministers in her Department in relation to their official conduct in each of the last three years.

Damian Hinds: Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton South East to the long standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, PQ 17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols. 1901-1904.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to work with (a) schools and (b) local authorities to help (i) ensure adequate funding for SEND provision and (ii) promote inclusion in mainstream schools in London.

David Johnston: Mainstream schools in London are being allocated a total of £7.15 billion in the 2023/24 financial year. Of that, local authorities have identified £869 million as notional budgets, which act as a guide to how much schools might need to spend on their pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Where SEN support costs for an individual pupil are in excess of £6,000, schools can additionally access local authorities' high needs budgets, which are for children and young people with more complex needs. Local authorities in London have been allocated high needs funding amounting to £1.9 billion in 2023/24. This is set to increase to £2 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, meaning a cumulative increase of 29% per head over the three years from the 2021/22 allocations. By 2024/25, high needs funding will have increased by 60% over the five years since 2019/20, to a total of over £10.5 billion nationally.As of March 2024, the department has published just under £850 million of further investment in places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision. Spread over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, it forms part of the £2.6 billion the department has committed to investing in high needs capital between 2022 and 2025 and represents a significant, transformational investment in new high needs provision. Between 2021/22 and 2024/25, London has been allocated just over £542 million. This is 20% of the total funding provided to local councils to support the provision of new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities or requiring alternative provision.In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March 2023 following extensive consultation with schools and local authorities, the department set out its mission for more children and young people to have their needs met effectively in mainstream settings. To bring together local authorities, health and education partners across local systems to strategically plan and commission support for children and young people with SEND, the department is working with local authorities to create or strengthen local SEND and AP partnerships. To support authorities, the department is investing £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists and introducing a National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) at leadership level.School and multi-academy trust leaders should promote collaborative working and drive inclusive practices across local areas. The department’s expectations for high-quality, inclusive education are set out in the ‘High Quality Trust Framework’ and enforced through the inspections under Ofsted’s 2019 Education Inspection Framework.The department is also investing in specific programmes designed to help schools develop their inclusive practice. For example, the Universal Services Programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively. As part of the Programme, over 135,000 professionals have undertaken autism awareness training. And to support schools to create calm, safe and supportive environments for all pupils, the department has invested £10 million in the Behaviour Hubs programme.Supporting children and young people with SEND is embedded in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and the professional standards that teachers are expected to adhere to throughout their careers. The Teachers' standards define the minimum level of practice expected of all teachers This includes Teachers Standard 5, which requires all teachers to adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.The government does not prescribe the curriculum of ITT courses. However, the mandatory ITT Core Content Framework (CCF) (2019) sets out the minimum entitlement of knowledge, skills and experiences that all trainees need to enter the profession in the best position possible to teach and support their pupils. This core content must be covered in full for all ITT courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).Once they have been awarded QTS at the end of their ITT course, all early career teachers are entitled to a new two-year induction underpinned by the Early Career Framework (ECF).Following the ITT CCF and Early Career Framework (ECF) review in 2023, the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which was published in January 2024, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND. The adaptive teaching content includes, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs, and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Communication

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to (a) ensure consistency in the accessibility of departmental communications and (b) support the use of (i) sign language videos, (ii) audio recordings and (iii) other accessible formats in such communications across Departments.

Alex Burghart: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

House of Lords: Reform

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the number of sitting peers in the House of Lords.

Alex Burghart: The House of Lords has a key role in scrutinising the executive and as a revising chamber. The Government has made no assessment of the merits of reducing the number of sitting peers and notes that unlike the Commons, peers are not full-time salaried legislators. It is important to focus on the number of peers who attend, and not just the number eligible to sit. Existing mechanisms allow sitting peers to retire or resign.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS Walk-in Centres

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to establish walk-in clinics in each Integrated Care Board; and what estimate she has made of the cost of doing so.

Helen Whately: The commissioning of establishing local services in the National Health Service is a matter for integrated care boards. The Government has no plans at this time to roll out hubs nationally.Based upon current schemes which are either operational or under development in England, and assuming a facility floorplan of 3,000 square metres, the construction of a single walk-in hub service would cost £21.4 million in 2024/25 prices. Ongoing running costs for each building could be approximately £2 million to £2.3 million dependent on whether it was operational seven days a week and included wider primary care services such as dentistry.

Obesity: Children

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle childhood obesity; and if she will take steps to work with (a) other Departments and (b) community organisations to provide access to safe recreational spaces for children.

Andrea Leadsom: Addressing obesity remains a priority for the Government and we are taking strong action to support people, including children and their families, in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. This action includes: the introduction of restrictions on the promotion by location of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online; working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and making healthier choices easier; the introduction of out of home calorie labelling regulations for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways; and supporting three million children through the Healthy Food Schemes. The Government has taken steps towards providing access to open spaces for communities including children, this includes putting policies in place to require local authorities to provide access to open spaces for sport and physical activity, which is important for the health and well-being of communities. This includes a duty for all local councils to produce a design code for their local area. Design codes will be prepared locally, reflect the local context, and be based on effective community involvement. Officials in the Department are engaging with stakeholders, including those across Government, on a wide range of issues, to promote healthier places.

Dental Services: Migrant Workers

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists were recruited from overseas by the NHS in the last 12 months; and if she will make an estimate of the number of dentists that will be recruited from overseas by the NHS in the next 12 months.

Andrea Leadsom: To legally practise dentistry in the United Kingdom, a dentist must be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), the independent regulator of dentistry. Once registered with the GDC, dentists can choose whether to practise in the National Health Service or privately. To practise in the NHS, dentists must be on the dental performers list.The Department does not hold the information requested on the number of overseas-qualified dentists that have joined the performers list in the last 12 months. No estimate has been made of the number of overseas-qualified dentists that will join the performers list in the next 12 months.

Dental Services: Rural Areas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether dentists working in dental treatment vans will be offered one-off payments of up to £20,000.

Andrea Leadsom: We will offer Golden Hellos of £20,000 to up to 240 dentists who join existing National Health Service practices, in areas where recruitment is particularly challenging. Golden Hello payments will be phased over three years, and require a commitment to stay in that area delivering NHS work for at least three years.We will also be deploying dental vans offering appointments to patients in need, including targeted rural and coastal communities who have the most limited access to dentistry, starting later this year. We are working with NHS England and the integrated care boards on the precise nature of the contracting and payment model for dental vans.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England has completed its review of service provision of June 2022 to determine whether forensic and medical interventions for non-fatal strangulation which occur in domestic abuse should form part of the core offer for sexual assault referral centres or should be cared for elsewhere.

Maria Caulfield: The National Sexual Assault Referral Centre’s (SARC) Service Specification, as reviewed and updated in June 2023, now reflects the offence of non-fatal strangulation (NFS). The specification states: Appropriate medical and forensic interventional support is provided to all service users presenting with sexual assault and/or sexual abuse where the presenting need also indicates non-fatal strangulation. It is widely acknowledged that many victims of sexual assault will have also experienced domestic abuse.For cases of non-fatal strangulation not associated with sexual assault, victims’ immediate healthcare needs can be treated in other acute healthcare settings such as emergency departments. The Institute for Addressing Strangulation recently published guidelines for clinical management of non-fatal strangulation in acute and emergency care services.

Dental Services: Standards

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how her Department determines the performance target for units of dental activity for each dental practice.

Andrea Leadsom: From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.The current General Dental Service (GDS) contract and Personal Dental Service (PDS) agreement were introduced in 2006. The majority of contracts which deliver routine, or mandatory, dental services are legacy arrangements from pre-2006, and the contracted Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) under these contracts generally reflect the treatment volumes that were required from each practice prior to the new arrangements coming into force.Activity levels for any new GDS contracts or PDS agreements would be determined as part of the procurement process, taking into account oral health needs assessments undertaken by ICBs, to identify areas of need and to determine the priorities for investment.Contractors are expected to deliver 96 to 102% of their agreed activity each year. Where contracts deliver less than 96%, the value of the undelivered activity is recouped from the contractor. Undelivered activity between 96 to 100% may be carried forward into the next financial year. Activity greater than 100% may be funded to 110%, if there is a local arrangement with the ICB, or may be deducted from the activity requirements of the next financial year.

Dental Services: Contracts

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental contracts have been handed back 7 February 2024.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental contracts have been changed following a request from dental practices since 7 February 2024.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many units of dental activity her Department (a) had estimated would be and (b) have been undertaken between 7 February and 22 March 2024.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of dental practices that have announced that they plan to withdraw from NHS contracts since 7 February 2024.

Andrea Leadsom: Monthly data on the Units of Dental Activity (UDA) delivered is published by the NHS Business Services Authority, although this data has an approximate two-month time lag, and therefore we expect data for February 2024 to be published around Mid-May. Otherwise, UDA delivery data is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/english-contractor-monthly-general-dental-activity

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Regulatory Policy Committee's revised opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is published by 16 April 2024.

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish the Regulatory Policy Committee's original opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill submitted to her Department on 12 February 2024; if she will outline the changes she has made to that Bill since receiving that opinion; and what discussions she has had with the Regulatory Policy Committee on the expected timetable for their submission of the revised opinion.

Andrea Leadsom: Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year, and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. That is why we have introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create the first smokefree generation, and enable us to further crack down on youth vaping. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is available at the following link:https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3703On 12 February 2024 the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) gave opinion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill impact assessment and rated it green (fit for purpose). However, on 19 March 2024, ahead of the introduction of the bill, a revised version was sent to the RPC for comment. This included changes to reflect the inclusion of Northern Ireland in the bill, following the formation of a Northern Ireland Executive, and a power in the bill to enable the current notification system for nicotine vapes to also cover non-nicotine vapes and other consumer nicotine products, for instance nicotine pouches. The RPC have publicly stated that they welcome the resubmission of the revised impact assessment, and we expect a revised opinion to be issued shortly. The statement from the RPC is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-tobacco-and-vapes-bill-statement-from-the-rpc

Domestic Abuse: Data Protection

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that providers of NHS services are protecting the whereabouts of domestic abuse victims from perpetrators.

Andrew Stephenson: There are security and legislative protections in place to protect patient data, and ensure data is used across the health and social care system in a safe, secure, and legal way. This includes data protection rules which prevent National Health Service employees from disclosing addresses of victims of domestic abuse.Each organisation’s terms and conditions of employment include strict guidelines on how staff handle and protect patients’ information. Staff must also be regularly trained in information governance responsibilities. Professional bodies such as the General Medical Council also set out standards which their members must meet.General practices have two options if they are worried that having access to their record might cause harm to a patient or another individual. They can either redact specific items on the record, or disable patient access entirely.

Sickle Cell Diseases: Research

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to support (a) research into and (b) treatment of sickle cell disease in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency.

Andrew Stephenson: We’re working hard to support research, and provide the best possible care to those living with sickle cell disease (SCD) across the country. The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Over the past five financial years, the NIHR has invested more than £8 million in funding and support for SCD research.NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the largest provider of apheresis services, a blood transfusion used to treat SCD. NHSBT will be delivering projects over the next 12 months that will increase both nursing capacity and the physical space in which apheresis occurs. We are also working to increase Ro subtype blood donation numbers, the blood type used to treat SCD, identify opportunities to improve clinical pathways, and deliver world-leading treatments, such as the new blood matching genetic test announced by NHS England earlier this year, which will reduce the risk of side effects and offer more personalised care.NHS England’s Chief Executive Officer has committed to improving the treatment and outcomes of patients with SCD, and has commissioned a Sickle Cell Pathway Quality Improvement work package. A quality improvement review of existing processes has led to a range of improvements including awareness, education, and training of both patients and professionals.The National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme (HiQiP) has recently introduced a number of initiatives as part of the wider aim of tackling inequalities for people living with SCD. This includes: piloting of urgent and emergency department bypass units in London and Manchester, which will ensure people with SCD with an uncomplicated vaso-occlusive crisis are assessed and given pain relief in a timely manner; the provision of a credit card sized Sickle Cell Alert Card to all people with SCD, to alert medical and clinical staff that the carrier is a registered SCD patient and that they should be managed as a medical emergency; a London wide commissioning for the design and upload of a patient care record onto an interoperable digital platform which, when fully operational, will give clinicians and medical personnel in different regions access to a patient’s personalised care and analgesia record, removing ambiguity on effective treatment; and several products to support the above, including a communications campaign to raise awareness of existing NHS England arrangements to support people with SCD to save money on the costs of regular prescriptions, as well as the Can you tell it's Sickle Cell campaign and an e-learning module, both from NHS England. Further information on the Can you tell it's Sickle Cell campaign and the e-learning module is available respectively, at the following links:https://www.england.nhs.uk/2022/06/nhs-launches-lifesaving-sickle-cell-campaign/https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/health-inequalities/

Surgery: Wellingborough

Gen Kitchen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting time for elective surgeries for people in Wellingborough constituency.

Andrew Stephenson: Cutting waiting lists is one of the Prime Minister’s top priorities. To reduce the National Health Service’s waitlist, the Department plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. This funding will expand capacity by creating a new network of community diagnostic centres, and maximising all available independent sector capacity. In addition, we are managing demand through specialised advice in primary care, and giving patients more control over where they receive their care.To reduce waiting times for elective surgeries specifically, we are transforming the way the NHS provides elective surgeries, by increasing activity through dedicated and protected surgical hubs. £1.5 billion of funding has been awarded for the development of new surgical hubs and the expansion of surgical hub sites, as well as increased bed capacity and equipment, to help elective services recover. The hubs will focus on providing high volume low complexity surgery, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. There are currently 100 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England, as of March 2024. These surgical hubs help to separate elective care facilities from urgent and emergency care.

Heart Diseases: Research

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to support (a) research into and (b) treatment of heart disease in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department supports research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including those relating to heart disease. Over the past five financial years, the NIHR has spent over £64 million on heart-disease related research projects. In addition, the NIHR infrastructure provides clinical expertise, specialist facilities, workforce, and support services to support research across a range of clinical areas, including heart disease.The Be Part of Research campaign makes it easier for people to find out about, and take part in, health and care research. Currently, there are seven high quality studies related to heart and circulation, which are being supported by the NIHR and are within five miles of Romford.The NHS Long Term Plan sets out that by 2028 the proportion of patients accessing cardiac rehabilitation will be amongst the best in Europe, with up to 85% of those eligible accessing care. This will prevent up to 23,000 premature deaths and 50,000 acute admissions over 10 years. The NHS Health Check programme is a core component of England's cardiovascular diseases prevention pathway. Over 15 million people are eligible for an NHS Health Check every five years, and it delivers 1.3 million checks a year, preventing an estimated 500 heart attacks and strokes.

Bereavement Counselling: Departmental Coordination

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress the cross-government bereavement working group has made on ensuring support is available to bereaved people.

Andrew Stephenson: The cross-Government bereavement group was established in preparation for publication of the UK Commission on Bereavement’s (UKCB), Bereavement is Everyone’s Business report, from October 2022. The group includes representatives from over 10 Government departments.The cross-Government bereavement group enables Government departments to share the best practice about bereavement support in the sectors for which they are responsible. The UKCB Steering Group has presented to the cross-Government working group on several occasions, and last attended a meeting of the group in September 2023.

Obesity: Health Services

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on integrating Wegovy to existing weight management structures within primary care settings.

Andrew Stephenson: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on semaglutide, the active ingredient in wegovy, for managing overweight and obesity was published in March 2023, and updated in September 2023. It recommends semaglutide as a treatment option for patients that meet specified eligibility criteria, and recommends that the treatment is provided within specialist weight management services. These services are typically provided in secondary rather than primary care settings. The Government is committed to the safe introduction of new weight loss drugs into the National Health Service, and is exploring ways to increase access to more people, who meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

NHS: Databases

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of when data will be placed into the federated data platform for NHS trusts and integrated care systems.

Andrew Stephenson: The Federated Data Platform will allow the National Health Service to make better use of data to improve outcomes for patients, including reducing waits and discharging people quicker from hospital.45 organisations who participated in the NHS England pilot, broken down into 42 trusts, two integrated care boards, and the City Healthcare Partnership Community Interest Company, have begun to transition into the Federated Data Platform, in a sequence of waves scheduled between March and May 2024. NHS England aims for all trusts and integrated care boards who wish to use the platform to do so within the next three years.

Dental Services

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many extra (a) appointments and (b) treatments will be delivered through each element of the dentistry recovery plan.

Andrea Leadsom: We want to make sure that everyone needing a National Health Service dentist can access one. Our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry will make dental services faster, simpler, and fairer for patients and will fund approximately 2.5 million additional appointments, or more than 1.5 million additional courses of dental treatment.The methodology underpinning this modelling has been shared with the Health and Social Care Select Committee and has also been placed in the libraries for both Houses. This includes information on the estimated number of treatments and appointments delivered by each of the interventions in our dentistry recovery plan.

Health Services: Finance

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support applicants for continued healthcare funding who appeal a decision to (a) NHS England and (b) the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Helen Whately: A public information leaflet is on the GOV.UK website in multiple languages, explaining the full process for appealing to NHS England or to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, as well as the eligibility decisions for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). This leaflet is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care-public-information-leafletCHC guidance, named the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, states that any individual being considered for CHC at the screening or referral stage should be given a copy of this leaflet, along with any relevant local information about processes and contact details. This guidance is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b0f7cdc033c100108062f9/National-Framework-for-NHS-Continuing-Healthcare-and-NHS-funded-Nursing-Care_July-2022-revised_corrected-July-2023.pdfNHS England has also commissioned a free Information and Advice Service for CHC from Beacon. This service provides independent and high-quality support on navigating CHC assessments and care planning, or to appeal against a decision about CHC eligibility. Further information is available at the following link:https://beaconchc.co.uk/how-we-can-help/free-information-and-advice-on-nhs-continuing-healthcare/

Hospitals: Dorset

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the extra allocations of money made from the discharge fund to the (a) NHS and (b) local authorities in Dorset in the 2023-24 financial year on the (i) timeliness and (ii) effectiveness of the discharge of patients from NHS hospitals.

Helen Whately: The Government is investing an additional £600 million for 2023/24 and £1 billion for 2024/25, through the Discharge Fund, to support the National Health Service and local authorities in ensuring timely and effective discharge from hospital. As part of their allocations for 2023/24, NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board received £5.7 million, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council received £1.9 million, and Dorset Council received £1.7 million. There will be an independent evaluation of the Discharge Fund for 2023/24 and 2024/25.Nationally, this funding has supported more people to be discharged more quickly with more appropriate support. The number of people discharged from hospital with packages of health and social care support increased by 10% between the end of February 2023 and the end of February 2024. Thanks to this improved patient flow hospitals have been able to admit and treat more patients during this period.

Parkinson's Disease: Warm Home Prescription

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing warm home prescriptions to patients with Parkinson's disease.

Helen Whately: We have made no specific assessment. The Government recognises that warm home prescription schemes can be effective in helping to protect vulnerable people and households from the health impacts of living in a cold home. These schemes are good examples of local collaboration between the National Health Service, local government, and other partners.

Medicine: Training

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the average distance that medical students allocated a placement under the UK Foundation Programme travel from their medical school to their allocated placement; and what the (a) shortest and (b) longest distance is for those students allocated a placement in 2024.

Andrew Stephenson: The information requested is not held by the Department.

Polio

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of patients who (a) have had polio and (b) have post-polio syndrome in the latest period for which data is available.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department does not hold data on the number of patients who have had polio or post-polio syndrome. However, the Department does hold data on the number of admissions to hospital, where polio or post-polio syndrome was recorded as a diagnosis, from 2018 to 2023:- in 2018/19, there were 176 admissions to National Health Service hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 797 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis;- in 2019/20, there were 187 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 813 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis;- in 2020/21, there were 107 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 522 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis;- in 2021/22, there were 115 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 630 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis; and- in 2022/23, there were 104 admissions to NHS hospitals in England where polio was recorded as the diagnosis, and 632 admissions where post-polio syndrome was recorded as the diagnosis.It is important to note that the number of admissions does not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period. It is estimated that there are approximately 120,000 people living in the United Kingdom who survived polio when they were younger. Some of these have, or will develop, post-polio syndrome.

Ovarian Cancer: Diagnosis

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce regional variations in early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Andrew Stephenson: Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer treatment is a priority for the Government, as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as both are key contributors to reducing cancer health inequalities. The National Health Service is improving cancer pathways to get people diagnosed faster once referred, and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway, but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 113 NSS pathways are currently operational, with more in development.

Department of Health and Social Care: Staff

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what staff networks there are in her Department.

Andrew Stephenson: The following staff-led support networks currently operate in the Department:- EnABLE, a disability and long-term conditions network;- Autism Network;- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Network;- Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Network;- Race Equality Matters Network;- Prism, an LGBT+ network;- Women’s Network;- Parents’ Network;- Age Diversity Network;- Carers’ Network;- Care Leavers’ Network;- Social Mobility Network;- Men’s Health Network;- Christian Network;- Jewish Network;- Muslim Network;- Hinduism and Sikhism Group;- Humanists Network;- Diversity and Inclusion Analytical Network;- Domestic Abuse Support Group;- Working Through Cancer Network; and- Mental Health First Aid. The following networks support and promote professional development and operational delivery:- International Network;- Flexible Working Network;- Green Network;- Social Workers Network;- Health Science and Engineering Network;- IT User Engagement Group;- Clinicians’ Network;- Nutritionist Network;- Perspectives Network;- History Network;- Culture and Engagement Champions Network;- Active Travel Network;- International Network;- First Aid Network;- Administrative Officer and Executive Officer Network;- Personal Assistant Network;- Senior Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer Network;- G6 and G7 Network; and- Direct Appointment Scheme Network.

Long Covid: Drugs

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to review the eligibility criteria for antivirals for those suffering from long covid.

Andrew Stephenson: Decisions on the eligibility criteria for treatment with antivirals are made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), based on an assessment of their costs and benefits, developed in line with marketing authorisations issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.The NICE has published guidance that recommends the antivirals Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio for the treatment of COVID-19, both in the community, and for patients in hospital. This guidance sets out the eligibility criteria and ensures that patients who are at the highest risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19 have access to clinically and cost-effective treatments. Patients with long COVID have not been identified as a distinct group that would be eligible for treatment, and there are currently no licensed antivirals for the treatment of long COVID. The NICE therefore has no current plans to review the eligibility criteria in its guidance. The NICE maintains surveillance of new evidence that may affect its published guidance, and would consult on proposed changes if significant new evidence were to emerge.

NHS North Central London: Databases

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the North Central London Integrated Care Board's consultation entitled Start Well which closed on 17 March 2024, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the patient flow modelling methods used within that consultation.

Andrew Stephenson: The North Central London Integrated Care Board advise that the patient flow modelling approach was based on the combination of geographical proximity and service user choice.The patient flow approach was tested with the Clinical Reference Group, Finance and Analytics Group, and Start Well Programme Board. The outputs were also tested with the Strategy Leads from each organisation, and the approach reviewed and assured by the London Clinical Senate and NHS England.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Public Libraries

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase access to libraries.

Julia Lopez: We will be publishing a refreshed Government strategy for public libraries later this year. This will be informed by Baroness Sanderson’s independent review of English public libraries and will help ensure that people across the country can benefit from great public library services.The DCMS-funded £20.5 million Libraries Improvement Fund (2021-2025) is supporting public library services in England. It is enabling them to upgrade their buildings and improve digital infrastructure, increasing their potential to develop more flexible spaces and improving digital access, thereby increasing library access and use.

Public Libraries: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that libraries are receiving adequate funding from local authorities.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help support libraries that have had a reduction in funding from local authorities.

Julia Lopez: Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service which meets local needs. It is for each local authority to consider how best to deliver this.His Majesty’s Government has provided an additional £600 million on top of the £64 billion Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 — an increase of 7.5% in cash terms. This uplift will help to reduce pressure on councils’ budgets, and protect services including public libraries.In addition, DCMS announced on 25 March that 43 library services in England would benefit from Round 3 of the Libraries Improvement Fund which is allocating £10.5 million across this financial year and next. The Fund has allocated £20.5 million since 2021 to public library services across England to support them to upgrade their buildings and improve digital infrastructure so that they are better placed to respond to the changing ways people want to use them.

Museums and Galleries

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that important items from national collections are shared with museums and galleries around the country.

Julia Lopez: Museums with national collections have a long history of loaning objects from their collection and touring exhibitions across the country. The 15 museums and museum groups directly sponsored by DCMS report annually on their UK loans and regional engagement, encouraging strategic dialogue between national collections to lend and foster collaborations, with data from 2022/23 showing that over 1,100 UK venues received loans. Non-national museums are also supported to borrow, through public funding, via Arts Council England, to organisations like the Touring Exhibition Group.

Cultural Heritage: Fees and Charges

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that cost is not a barrier to people accessing heritage visitor attractions in their area.

Julia Lopez: Many heritage visitor attractions are free to visit or offer schemes to support access, and DCMS-sponsored museums are free to enter for people of any age. The vast majority of the 400 sites in the National Heritage Collection, which is managed by English Heritage Trust on behalf of HM Government, are also free to enter. Where the charity does need to charge visitors an entry fee to support its work, it works to increase engagement with under-represented groups, so that everyone has the opportunity to connect with our shared heritage. English Heritage is also one of the largest providers of free school visits in the UK.The National Lottery also runs ‘National Lottery Open Week’ which provides free admission for holders of a lottery ticket or scratch card at venues across the UK, including English Heritage Trust, Historic Royal Palaces, and National Trust properties.

Clothing: Cultural Heritage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to support traditional English sartorial culture and the related industry.

Julia Lopez: As part of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, the government announced £2 million funding to support five London Fashion Weeks over the next two years. This will go specifically towards supporting emerging designer talent and increasing access to the sector, delivered through the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme.DCMS also supports the UK Research and Investment (UKRI) £15 million Circular Fashion programme, launched in 2022 to bring the sector, academia and government together to understand and drive the fashion and textiles industry towards sustainable and responsible practices. This programme will be critical in developing this area of research and meeting the goal of transforming the fashion and textiles sector to adopt economically viable and scalable circular models by 2032.The textiles, fashion and craft industries play an important role in the UK’s social and cultural heritage, and are a major driver of economic growth. The UK is famous for its unrivalled creativity and innovation and it has a track record for producing some of the world’s most influential designers. Recognising this contribution, we are committed to supporting future growth in the sector. DCMS continues to engage with the British Fashion Council, the Crafts Council and the wider industries to understand the challenges the sectors are facing and how the government can best provide support.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Members: Correspondence

Sir Simon Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 4 December 2023 from the Rt hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland relating to a constituent, reference SC3361 and SC6612.

Julia Lopez: DSIT attaches great importance to providing timely responses to Members’ correspondence so we apologise for the delay in these cases. We replied to case reference SC3361 on 27 March and will ensure a response is issued to SC6612 as a matter of urgency.

Digital technology: Disadvantaged

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is taking steps with (a) tech companies and (b) non-profits to improve the accessibility of digital content for people facing literacy barriers.

Saqib Bhatti: This Government has been clear that ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age is a key priority and continues to take steps to offer needed support, including through the new Cross-Whitehall Ministerial Group for Digital Inclusion.Our 2021 Online Media Literacy Strategy seeks to support organisations to undertake activity in a more coordinated, wide-reaching, and high-quality way. Over the last year, we have funded 13 media literacy projects aimed at vulnerable and/or hard-to-reach citizens, including young women excluded from mainstream education and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.The Online Safety Act empowers Ofcom to request information from in-scope companies about their media literacy activities to allow better visibility of tech industry efforts.

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2024 to Question 11162 on Telecommunications: Infrastructure, how many notices her Department has received from Ofcom of instances of operators not complying with their statutory duties in the last 12 months.

Julia Lopez: Ofcom is an independent regulator and, as such, does not discuss open cases with the Department. Where there are issues of non-compliance with statutory duties, Ofcom will deal with these cases directly with the operator. If Ofcom were to find, following an investigation, that any operator had failed to comply with its regulatory obligations it would publish that information on its Enforcement Bulletin. I would, however, reiterate that I am aware of ongoing concerns about operator compliance with their duties under the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) and particularly about new pole installations.I recently met Melanie Dawes, CEO of Ofcom, to discuss this, and to explore ways DSIT and Ofcom can work together to raise awareness of statutory roles and responsibilities and ensure better compliance. This work is being taken forward by officials and I will be monitoring progress.I also wrote to all fixed line operators on 14 March, setting out the government’s concerns and emphasising the importance of infrastructure sharing. Specifically, I have asked them to do everything possible to share existing telegraph poles before installing new ones. You can find a copy of the letter here.The government has already taken steps to support this through measures in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 making it easier for operators to upgrade and share the use of existing infrastructure.Separately, DSIT will be meeting with operators in the near future to discuss revisions to the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice and how these can be delivered to promote better working practices. I also met with interested MPs on Monday 25 March 2024. I remain keen to hear and understand the concerns shared by MPs and their constituents, to inform our ongoing work, as well as to keep you informed of the progress that is being made and the next steps we have planned.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Travellers

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the treatment of (a) Romani, (b) Roma and (c) Irish Traveller people in the prison estate.

Edward Argar: His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) pursues an evidence-based approach to improving treatment and outcomes for prisoners, people on probation and children in our care from Romani, Roma, and Traveller Communities.The HMPPS Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Strategy, first produced in May 2023, was drawn up, and continues to be developed, in consultation with Third Sector partners. It is informed by a range of internal and external reports and data. The strategy is implemented via a comprehensive action plan, which targets key areas for development, including data improvement, family interactions and health inequalities.Some specific examples of activity include the further expansion of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) Forums in prisons. Forums are being regularly held in several establishments across the prison estate, providing a supportive platform for communications and helping to respond to local needs. Staff awareness continues to be improved, with Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller specific information embedded into various guides across the organisation, improving the capability of staff to respond to individuals’ needs.

Prisons: Drugs and Mobile Phones

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the smuggling of (a) drugs and (b) communication devices into prisons.

Edward Argar: We are committed to tackling the smuggling of all illicit items into prisons, including drugs and communication devices such as mobile phones.We completed the £100 million Security Investment Programme in March 2022, which included funding to bolster physical security measures. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners, resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2023, we had recorded 46,925 positive indications, helping to tackle the supply of drugs and mobile phones into prisons. We also deployed Enhanced Gate Security to 42 high-risk prisons under this investment, implementing routine searching of staff and visitors. This included 659 dedicated staff, 154 drug sniffing dogs and over 200 pieces of equipment.We have 165 drug trace detection machines across the prison estate to prevent the smuggling of drugs, such as psychoactive substances, through the mail. The rollout of an additional 20 next-generation devices was completed in March 2024, meaning every public section prison now has this next-generation equipment.X-ray baggage scanners have been installed at 49 sites (45 prisons and 4 learning centres) building on the rollout of our X-ray body scanners, gate security and drug trace detection machines.New airspace restrictions took effect on 25 January 2024 to create 400 metre flight restriction zones around all closed prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. These will ensure swift action is taken against criminal drone activity, including the smuggling of illicit items.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

White Fish: Monitoring

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were analysed by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2021.

Mark Spencer: Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not analysed pollack otolith bones from Area VI. In 2021, 818 otolith bones were analysed by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

Veterinary Medicine: Labour Turnover

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help increase staff retention in the veterinary sector.

Mark Spencer: Defra is aware of the challenges facing the veterinary sector, including retention of qualified veterinary surgeons. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as the regulator for the veterinary profession, published its Workforce Action Plan in 2022 to progress issues of recruitment, retention and return. Defra works closely with the RCVS on issues concerning the veterinary profession and continues to keep reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, where amendments might support increases in recruitment and retention, under review.

Imports: Disease Control

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2024 to Question 14058 on Imports: Disease Control, when he will publish the Government response to the Common User Charge consultation.

Mark Spencer: Defra has consulted on its proposed methodology and rates to inform charging levels and will publish an update on the Common User Charge shortly. This will include the Government response to the Common User Charge consultation.

Import Controls: Fees and Charges

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2024 to Question 17736 on Import Controls, whether the common user charge will include costs related to the processing of imports via the Border Target Operating Model.

Mark Spencer: Port Health Authorities (PHAs) have charging mechanisms in place for covering the costs of checking SPS consignments, and the Government, in conjunction with devolved administrations, is working with them to review fee levels and support the implementation of new checks of imports from the EU in early 2024. Commercial BCP fees are a business decision for the operators of those sites. The Common User Charge is to recover the costs of operating government-run BCP facilities in England. Defra has consulted on its proposed methodology and rates to inform charging levels. Defra has used feedback to inform the final policy and rates, which we expect to publish shortly. PHAs or local authorities undertake checks on animal products and High-Risk Feed or Food Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO) at BCP. APHA is the competent authority with responsibility for the inspections of plants and plant products at all BCPs and control points.

Import Controls: Fees and Charges

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2024 to Question 17736 on Import Controls, if he will publish a list of all Border Control Posts where imports will (a) be subject to the Common User Charge and (b) subject to other charges.

Mark Spencer: The Common User Charge for the recovery of BCP operating costs applies only to government-run BCPs in England. Commercial operators will independently set charges for their own BCP facilities. Defra has consulted on its proposed methodology and rates to inform charging levels. Defra has used feedback to inform the final policy and rates, which we expect to publish shortly.

Import Controls

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2024 to Question 18133 on Import Controls, what standards goods will be required to demonstrate they meet via an export health certificate in order to be eligible for import into the UK.

Mark Spencer: Specific requirements will vary by commodity, with details available on the Gov.uk pages for certification Import goods into the UK: step by step - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The BTOM will operate a sophisticated approach to risk categorisation, with the intensity of controls calibrated to the level of risk presented by each commodity. For high-risk and medium-risk goods, we will retain health certification and BCP inspection, albeit with frequently lower inspection rates than under the EU model. Documentary-only checks will be performed remotely instead of all regulated goods having to present documents at a BCP. For low-risk animal products as a matter of routine we will only require electronic pre-notification, which is already in place. Low-risk plant produce (fruit and vegetables with no known specific disease or pest risk associated) will be removed from import health control requirements altogether. There will no longer be any requirements for pre-notification, with enhanced inland monitoring and surveillance in place to ensure it is compliant with the UK's high food safety and standards and to keep track of any issues. We will simplify Export Health Certificates and make health certificates digital wherever possible. For medium-risk goods, we will extend the well-established concept of trusted trader into the SPS sphere, by working with industry to pilot new trusted trader authorisations for SPS goods.

Import Controls: Disease Control

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2024 to Question 11320 on Import Controls: Disease Control, which categories of consignment will be required to pay the Common User Charge, by risk level.

Mark Spencer: Defra has consulted on its proposed methodology and rates to inform charging levels and will publish an update on the Common User Charge shortly. This will include the Government response to the Common User Charge consultation. Further information on the policy and rates will be included in the upcoming publication.

Animal Welfare: Charities

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of provisions in the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill on the work of animal rescue charities.

Mark Spencer: The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill completed second reading in the House of Commons on 15 March 2024. In August 2021 we launched a consultation on the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. It was a wide-ranging consultation with excellent engagement with key stakeholders including animal rescue charities. We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and the consultation response will be published soon.

Dangerous Dogs: Euthanasia

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many XL Bully dogs have been seized by the police since 1 January 2024; and how many and what proportion of those seized have been euthanised.

Mark Spencer: Defra does not hold data on XL Bully dogs which have been seized by the police. This information would be held by individual police forces.

Bluetongue Disease

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to mitigate the threat from bluetongue virus as the midge vector increases in activity.

Mark Spencer: Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) officials took robust action following findings of cases of Bluetongue virus, following our well-established processes for managing cases of disease. We are planning for a possible resurgence of the disease over the coming months as the weather warms, and the risk of infected midges blowing over from northern Europe increases. We recently held a Ministerial roundtable with key industry stakeholders to discuss the options and understand their priorities over the coming months. Surveillance of susceptible animals and epidemiological assessments continue, and we are actively engaging with vaccine manufacturers on the development of BTV-3 vaccines for use in the UK. We are modelling the risk of incursion and proactively raising awareness with animal keepers in higher-risk areas, and are monitoring vector activity.

Horses: Northern Ireland

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost associated with veterinary checks on horses moving from (a) Great Britain to Northern Ireland and (b) Northern Ireland to Great Britain since the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mark Spencer: The Government's Movement Assistance Scheme is available to reimburse costs (including veterinary checks), in line with the terms of the scheme, for horses moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Horses moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain have unfettered access.

Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the cumulative days of fishing by vessels carrying (a) bottom trawls, (b) dredges and (c) other bottom-towed gear in the UK’s 63 offshore benthic MPAs in 2023.

Mark Spencer: The designation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Estimates of fishing effort in offshore MPAs are made as part of the Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) work to assess and manage the impacts of fishing in all English offshore MPAs. These estimates have been published in economic and fisheries assessments on GOV.UK alongside byelaws for the first two stages of the MMO’s four stage programme to manage fishing activity in all English offshore MPAs. MMO is currently undertaking further analysis covering 43 offshore MPAs which will be published in due course, alongside consultations on any proposed byelaws.

Methane: Pollution Control

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to help reduce methane emissions from (a) anthropogenic sources, (b) landfills and (c) fossil fuel production.

Rebecca Pow: In the UK, overall greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector have decreased by 74% since 1990. This is mostly due to the implementation of methane recovery systems at UK landfill sites, increasing landfill methane capture rates, and reductions in the amount of biodegradable waste disposed of at landfill sites. In 2022, the waste sector accounted for 4.6% of total UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions, with landfill methane emissions responsible for 80% of the sector’s emissions. We are committed to tackling these remaining emissions and are exploring options for the near elimination of municipal biodegradable waste being sent to landfill in England from 2028, in line with the commitment in the Net Zero Strategy. Under the Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms, set out within new s45 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended by the Environment Act 2021), all households, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises will be required to arrange for the collection of food waste for recycling or composting. Recycling via anaerobic digestion will produce biogas and significant carbon savings over sending food waste to landfill. To explore further measures to achieve our commitment we issued a call for evidence on 26 May 2023 to support detailed policy development. A summary of responses to this call for evidence and further information will be published in due course. We are undertaking research to quantify site-specific methane emissions from landfill and update our understanding of residual (non-recyclable) waste composition. Both of these projects will support efforts to further reduce methane emissions from landfill sites and report our emissions in line with UNFCCC guidelines. Defra considers that Methane Suppressing Feed Products (MSFPs) are an essential tool to decarbonise the agriculture sector. In England, our objective is to establish a mature market for these products, encourage uptake and mandate the use of MSFPs in appropriate cattle systems as soon as feasibly possible and no later than 2030. We are committed to working with farmers and industry to achieve this goal, and in early March convened the inaugural meeting of a Ministerial-led industry taskforce on MSFPs. The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (EPR) provide wide-ranging powers to control emissions to air, water and land from regulated installations through permits. Methane is a pollutant under the EPR and, where relevant, industrial installations must comply with EPR permit conditions to control and monitor methane.In the 2020 Energy White Paper, the Government committed to the World Bank’s ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ initiative which aims to eliminate routine flaring from oil production globally.Through the North Sea Transition Deal and the industry’s subsequent Methane Action Plan, UK industry has committed further to accelerate compliance with the World Bank's initiative where possible, set a 50% methane reduction target by 2030 (against a 2018 baseline) and have adopted the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative’s methane intensity target of 0.2% by 2025.Emissions associated with methane venting and flaring are accounted for in our binding domestic carbon budgets.The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) already expects methane emissions to be as low as possible, and for all new developments to be developed on the basis of zero routine flaring and venting, (and to be either electrified or electrification-ready).All platforms are expected to have zero routine flaring and venting from or before 2030.The consenting process for flaring and venting is administered by the NSTA, which is working with industry to keep non-routine flaring and venting to a minimum.The NSTA recently consulted on its draft OGA Plan, which included a section on flaring and venting. It is due to publish its response and the final OGA plan soon.

Methane: Pollution Control

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the usage of emerging technologies that help directly reduce methane levels in the atmosphere.

Rebecca Pow: Methane reduction technologies are within scope of Defra’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme and were in scope of its predecessor, Farming Innovation Pathways. Defra’s evidence programme includes Research & Development exploring ways to reduce emissions from livestock. The portfolio includes research on nutrient and livestock management, feed and grazing regimes, methane suppressing feed products, ways to identify and selectively breed for more sustainable and productive animals, and ways to better manage manures. Defra considers that Methane Suppressing Feed Products (MSFPs) are an essential tool to decarbonise the agriculture sector. In England, our objective is to establish a mature market for these products, encourage uptake and mandate the use of MSFPs in appropriate cattle systems as soon as feasibly possible and no later than 2030. We are committed to working with farmers and industry to achieve this goal, and in early March convened the inaugural meeting of a Ministerial-led industry taskforce on MSFPs. The UK catalysed action on methane during our COP26 Presidency, including being one of the first countries to support the Global Methane Pledge - a collective commitment to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, against 2020 levels. As part of its commitment to the Global Methane Pledge, the UK published a Methane Memorandum in November 2023 during COP27. The Memorandum outlines how the UK has achieved a robust track record in reducing methane emissions and how it continues to explore and implement measures to secure future progress. We were pleased that methane emissions were prioritised at COP28, with more countries joining the Pledge and a particular focus on mobilising finance to support developing countries with their methane emissions. The UK committed £2 million to the Methane Finance Sprint.

Methane: Pollution Control

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of funding is the Government investing in methane reduction technologies.

Rebecca Pow: As announced in the Government’s Net Zero Strategy 2021, we are bringing forward £295 million of capital funding which will allow local authorities in England to prepare to implement free weekly separate food waste collections for all households in England. This will deliver significant carbon savings over sending food waste to landfill. Methane reduction technologies are within scope of Defra’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme and were in scope of its predecessor, Farming Innovation Pathways. While primarily a safety focussed programme, the Health and Safety Executive-led Iron Mains Risk Reduction Programme (IMRRP) is expected to invest approximately £4 billion in replacing iron gas mains with plastic pipework over the current Ofgem price control period (2021-2026), improving safety and reducing methane emissions. By the conclusion of this programme in 2032, it is estimated that the IMRRP will have achieved a 66% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions from the gas distribution network since the programme commenced in 2013.

Wildlife: Crime

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the police and (b) animal welfare stakeholders on the actions of people involved in catapult groups on social media.

Rebecca Pow: The use of catapults against animals, and the sharing of disturbing imagery associated with such use on social media, is an issue that has been relayed to my officials by certain local police forces and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. I am informed a new national group has recently been created to address the catapulting of wildlife, focusing on education, prevention, detection and justice. Officers from Essex Police and the Metropolitan Police are leading the group, named Operation Lakeshot, and they are working in partnership with the RSPCA and Nature Watch. The government takes wildlife crime seriously and it is a matter of concern. Under provisions in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, there are a range of offences around deliberate attempts to kill, injure, or inflict harm on wildlife. Furthermore, the Online Safety Act 2023 will also require social media firms to take action to tackle content that results in the unnecessary suffering of animals, or that encourages activity that causes the unnecessary suffering of an animal. This includes removing such content.

Marine Protected Areas: Territorial Waters

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of classifying all territorial waters as Marine Protected Areas.

Rebecca Pow: The UK has signed up to the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 (30by30 target). Domestically, we have designated a comprehensive network of MPAs covering 40% of English waters, based on recommendations from our scientific advisors (Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee). Our priority is to ensure all sites are managed appropriately to meet our statutory MPA target.

Pets and Wildlife: Crime

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the use of catapults to (a) kill and (b) maim (i) wildlife and (ii) pets.

Rebecca Pow: The Government takes crimes against wildlife and against pets seriously, including those involving the use of catapults. Under provisions in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and Animal Welfare Act 2006, there are a range of offences around deliberate attempts to kill, injure or inflict harm on wildlife and in the event that a member of the public believes such an offence has taken place, they are encouraged to report the matter to the police so they can investigate. In particular where pets are concerned, it is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty by increasing the maximum penalty for this offence to 5 years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Home Office

Migrants: Health Services

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the immigration health surcharge for people who already (a) work and (b) pay taxes in the UK.

Tom Pursglove: The Government has no plans to remove the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for temporary migrants who work and pay taxes in the UK.It is right those granted temporary immigration permission for more than six months should contribute to the sustainability of our NHS. Having paid the IHS, temporary migrants can access the NHS as soon as they arrive in the UK and will only be charged for services that a permanent resident would also pay for, such as prescription charges in England.Although some temporary migrants will pay tax and National Insurance contributions after they start work in the UK, they will not on average have made the same financial contribution to the NHS which most UK nationals and permanent residents have made, or will make, over the course of their working lives. It is an individual’s immigration status, not their tax and National Insurance contributions, which governs their access to the NHS.

Migrants: Domestic Abuse

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will remove the reservation on Article 59 of the Istanbul Convention.

Laura Farris: The reservation on Article 59 will be kept in place at this time but kept under review as the policies which address support for migrant victims of domestic abuse develop. We continue to be committed to supporting migrant victims of domestic abuse. This includes the recently expanded Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession, the immediate settlement provisions under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse and the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme.

UK Border Force: Redundancy

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Heathrow Border Force staff have taken voluntary exit as a result of the Heathrow Change Programme; and how many such staff are (a) women and (b) disabled people.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office can confirm 158 staff have indicated they wish to take the voluntary exit scheme. 54% of those staff who have indicated taking the voluntary exit are female. 18% of staff who have indicated, wishing to take the voluntary exit scheme, have a disability.

UK Border Force: Staff

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people worked for Heathrow Border Force before the Heathrow Change Programme; and what proportion of these were (a) men and (b) women.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office would not disclose information which is considered likely to cause prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs.Border Force staffing numbers can be obtained from the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023 (www.gov.uk).

UK Border Force: Complaints

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many grievances have been raised by Heathrow Border Force staff in response to the Heathrow Change Programme; how many of these have been rejected; and what proportion of grievances were raised by (a) women and (b) disabled people.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office would not disclose information which is considered likely to cause prejudice to the effectiveness of public affairs.

UK Border Force: Pay

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Heathrow Border Force staff have gone down a pay grade as part of the Heathrow Change Programme; and what proportion of such staff are (a) women and (b) disabled people.

Tom Pursglove: No members of staff have gone down a pay grade as part of the Heathrow Change Programme.

UK Border Force: Staff

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many disabled people worked for Heathrow Border Force before the Heathrow Change Programme.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office do not hold the requested information on how many people working for Border Force Heathrow prior to the Change Programme had declared a disability, in an easily accessible format.

UK Border Force: Reasonable Adjustments

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Heathrow Border Force staff had reasonable adjustments before the Heathrow Change Programme; and what proportion of such staff were (a) women and (b) disabled people.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office do not hold the requested information on how many people working for Border Force at Heathrow prior to the Change Programme had reasonable adjustments, in an accessible format.

UK Border Force: Conditions of Employment

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Heathrow Border Force staff have been asked to accept new terms and conditions as part of the Heathrow Change Programme; and how many such staff are (a) women and (b) disabled people.

Tom Pursglove: No members of staff have been asked to accept new terms and conditions. All staff were given a range of options on which they could make the decision which best suited them.

Detention Centres: Women

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the number of vulnerable women held in immigration detention.

Michael Tomlinson: The Home Office are committed to ensuring the proper protection and treatment of women, including vulnerable women, in detention and will seek to facilitate voluntary return as an alternative to detention and enforced removal. Further information can be found in published operational guidance DSO 06/2016 Women in the Detention Estate. We fully accept that some groups of individuals can be at particular risk of harm in immigration detention. This is the basis of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy DSO 08/2016 Management of adults at risk in immigration detention, which strengthens the presumption against detention for vulnerable individuals. Women who are victims of torture, trafficking or sexual violence are all covered by the adults at risk in immigration detention policy. Anyone who falls within the scope of the policy is regarded as unsuitable for detention unless the specific immigration circumstances in their case are considered to outweigh the vulnerability issues. Plans are in place to convert Derwentside immigration removal centre (IRC) from a female only centre, into a detained facility for men, reducing female capacity across the existing estate.

Delivery Services: Undocumented Migrants

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department holds information on illegal working via the use of rented profiles on food delivery apps.

Michael Tomlinson: The HO holds some information in relation to individuals who rent profiles on food delivery apps. However, we do not routinely publish the information you have requested and we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Rwanda

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish details on the (a) level of financial and (b) other incentives his Department plans to offer to asylum seekers to encourage them to voluntarily relocate to Rwanda.

Michael Tomlinson: Voluntary relocation to Rwanda builds on our already widely used voluntary returns scheme – details of this can be found at the following link:- Voluntary and assisted departures.docx (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Gender Based Violence: Victims

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Tackling violence against women and girls strategy, published on 21 July 2021, what progress his Department has made on ensuring support is provided to survivors of gender-based violence.

Laura Farris: We have completed or closed over half of all cross-government commitments in the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy (2021) and Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan (2022). This includes:Allocating £6.6 million to deliver interventions that improve our understanding of ‘what works’ to prevent violence against women and girls.Ensuring consistency in support services through introducing national commissioning standards through the Victims Funding Strategy.Launching the VAWG Support and Specialist Services Fund with £8.3m of funding support victims facing the greatest barriers.Supporting the passage of the Worker Protection (Amendment of the Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 which places a new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees.Invested over £150m of funding through Safer Streets and Safety of Women at Night fund on a range of projects focused on improving public safety, including for women and girls.Doubled funding for the National Domestic Abuse helpline and other helplines such as the Revenge Porn Helpline and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s National stalking helpline.Relaunched the Flexible Fund in January 2024 with a further £2m investment to help remove barriers to domestic abuse victims leaving their abusers, after its successful £300,000 pilot in 2023.

Department for Business and Trade

BMW: Government Assistance

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what (a) criteria and (b) assessment process was used to determine the award of up to £75 million to BMW made under section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982.

Kevin Hollinrake: The award to BMW met the following criteria;The award is associated with a strategically important and significant opportunity related to an internationally mobile investment.Significant private sector investment will be leveraged.A significant number of jobs will be created and/or safeguarded.The award meets Government’s value for money requirements.The award is deemed legally compliant in accordance with the UK Subsidy Control Act 2022The assessment process followed HM Treasury Green Book Appraisal Guidance including detailed due diligence conducted by an independent third party. The assessment process also included scrutiny by the Industrial Development Advisory Board.The award to BMW supports a total investment of £575m by the company and will secure production of new electric models of the Mini at the plant in Oxford.

Industry: Government Assistance

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much her Department has paid by way of financial assistance under section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in (i) 2018-2019, (ii) 2019-2020, (iii) 2020-2021, (iv) 2021-2022 and (v) 2022-2023 financial year.

Kevin Hollinrake: We are unable to provide a breakdown in the manner requested as the data is not held in that format. However, full details of financial assistance provided under the Act are published annually in the Industrial Development Act annual report, copies of which are available in the House libraries.

Department for Transport

Blue Badge Scheme: Theft

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he as made of the cost to individuals of replacing blue badges lost due to theft.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Home Office on the theft of blue badges.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of blue badge thefts in the last 12 months.

Guy Opperman: The Department sets the legislation that governs the Blue Badge scheme and provides guidance for local authorities who are solely responsible for administering the scheme. Current legislation provides local authorities with the means to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge scheme locally, such as the power to retain and cancel badges found to be stolen. Data on the number of Blue Badges stolen in the last 12 months are not currently available. The latest published statistics show that in the year ending 31st March 2023, 1700 Blue Badges were reported stolen in England. The figures reflect cases that have been recorded in the Blue Badge Digital Service database. It is possible that not all instances of loss or theft will be reported and recorded, and therefore will not be included in these figures.

Delivery Services: Driving

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Home Office on tackling the matter of delivery drivers who are in the UK illegally.

Guy Opperman: DfT ministers and officials engage with the Home Office on this matter. The Department sits on the cross-government ministerial Taskforce on Immigration Enforcement, which ensures that every available power across government is utilised to support law enforcement activity to identify and reduce illegal migrants in the UK, and ensures only those eligible can work, receive benefits or access public services. The Department and its agencies continue to support the Home Office on the wider issue of illegal working in the UK.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken with relevant authorities to improve the condition of roads in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Guy Opperman: The Department is providing an unprecedented £8.3 billion of additional funding over this year and the next decade to local highways authorities in England to enable them to transform the condition of their local roads. £150 million of this has already been allocated in 2023/24 with a further £150 million to follow in 2024/25. All of this has been made possible by reallocating funds that would have otherwise been spent on the HS2 programme. The Romford constituency is in the London Borough of Havering, which will receive a minimum of £10.4 million of additional funding over the 11-year period. £333,000 of that has been allocated in 2023/24 with a further £333,000 to follow in 2024/25. All funding allocations can be found on gov.uk.

Railways: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2020 to Question 120953 on Network Rail: Finance and pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 18100 on Railways: Finance, what assessment he has made of the causes of the differential in the rail enhancements budget for 2019 to 2024.

Huw Merriman: The answer provided 25 November 2020 to Question 120953 on “Network Rail: Finance” referred to the budget for rail enhancements during the years 2019-2024. The answer provided 12 March 2024 to Question 18100 on “Railways: Finance” referred to the spend on rail enhancements in each year of that period. The comparison is therefore of a budget, stated as £9.4bn after Spending Review 2020, to the spend against that budget estimated at £8.63bn over the same period. There is no differential in the rail enhancements budget implied by that comparison. The difference in the figures comes from a degree of underspending against budget in each year of the first 4 years of the period.

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to help ensure greater job security for seafarers in the last two years.

Guy Opperman: In July 2023 we launched the Seafarers’ Charter, which among other measures requires that operators who obtain full Charter status do not use voyage contracts except in exceptional circumstances. This means that seafarers aboard ships run by a Charter operator can be confident that in most cases after their period of time aboard a vessel has ended, they will continue to have work without needing to reapply. I am pleased that 5 of the 6 major international ferry companies operating from the UK have now committed to meeting the Charter requirements. Examples of ‘exceptional circumstances’ might be if a seafarer has been taken ill and the operator needs to bring someone onboard at short notice to cover the position, or if a piece of machinery has broken and they brought an additional seafarer onboard to fix it while it the vessel was underway. We continue to work to improve seafarer protections in the UK and around the world.

Avanti West Coast: Contracts

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the decision of the Transport for the North Board to write to him requesting the end of the Avanti West Coast contract.

Huw Merriman: The challenges faced on the West Coast will remain regardless of the operator, including longstanding restrictive working practices which require the agreement of unions to amend. To place West Coast Partnership under the Operator of Last Resort would remove the opportunity to retain private sector expertise in both the West Coast as an operator and in the HS2 Shadow Operator function. A full response will be provided to the Transport for the North Board in due course.

Public Transport: Tickets

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for introducing contactless ticketing in Southend West constituency.

Huw Merriman: We have announced that Contactless Pay as you go (PAYG) ticketing will be rolled out to Chalkwell and Leigh-on-Sea in during 2024. This is part of our commitment to rollout contactless PAYG to more stations across the south east. Further details on the exact date for launch will be announced in due course.

Treasury

Tax Avoidance

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 19192 on Tax Avoidance, whether it is his Department's policy to cease recovery of any liabilities incurred before December 2010 in cases where a taxpayer has not received an update for a period of 12 months or more from the initial date of an open enquiry or assessment.

Nigel Huddleston: In the 2019 Independent Loan Charge Review, Lord Morse recommended that the Loan Charge should only apply to loans made on or after 9 December 2010. The Government accepted this recommendation. Lord Morse was also clear that, for years before this date, where there is an open enquiry or assessment under appeal, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) should still have the ability to pursue the tax due under the existing rules. HMRC has proceeded on this basis and it is its policy to collect tax where it has the ability to do so. As part of its overall compliance processes and its commitment to update taxpayers at least annually, all of these taxpayers should have received correspondence from HMRC in the last 12 months. When HMRC opens an enquiry, the information sheet provided includes information about a taxpayer’s right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for the enquiry to be closed. One of the grounds for making such an application is where there has been an excessive delay during which a taxpayer has not received any communication from HMRC.

Audiobooks: VAT

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of charging VAT on (a) academic and (b) other educational audiobooks on access to education for people with (i) dyslexia, (ii) sight loss and (iii) impairment who cannot hold books.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made representations to the Minister for Women and Equalities in support of a 0% VAT rate on audiobooks to prevent discrimination against people with (a) dyslexia, (b) sight (i) loss and (ii) impairment and (c) disabilities preventing them from holding a physical book.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government is committed to supporting those with disabilities who may struggle to access physical books and therefore rely more heavily on audiobooks. In line with its statutory obligations under the Equality Act, the Government carefully considers the impact of VAT policy on those with disabilities. However, there is never any guarantee that any VAT cut is passed onto consumers. It is therefore not clear that cutting the VAT on audiobooks would actually benefit consumers, including those with disabilities. Given this, the government does not currently have any plans to change the VAT treatment of audiobooks.

Treasury: Visits Abroad

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's publication entitled HMT ministers’ overseas travel, published on 21 March 2024, how much of the £15,991 spent on his visit to the USA from 20 to 22 October 2023 was spent on air travel.

Gareth Davies: The Government publishes details of Ministerial travel on GOV.UK. As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers' travel either at home or abroad.

Economic Growth

Simon Jupp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for his Department's tweet of 29 September 2023 that the UK was the fastest growing European G7 country since 2010.

Bim Afolami: The calculations underlying this statistic were based on public information available on the 29 September 2023, including quarterly GDP data published by the Office for National Statistics for the UK and OECD data for the remaining G7 European economies. The data showed that cumulative GDP growth in the UK from the beginning of 2010 (change on 2009 Q4) through to 2023 Q2 of 24.2% was greater than that of France (16.4%), Italy (3.5%) and Germany (21.2%).

Payment Methods

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the National Payments Vision.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which stakeholders he is consulting on the National Payments Vision.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure the National Payments Vision results in meaningful competition in retail payments.

Bim Afolami: Payments are essential to the UK’s economy, both for individuals and for businesses, and are a cornerstone of growth and competitiveness. The government is committed to maintaining the UK’s reputation for a world-leading payments ecosystem and will publish the National Payments Vision as soon as possible later this year.

Mortgages

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) mortgage term extensions, (b) interest-only payment switches and (c) repossessions in relation to a mortgaged property since the publication of the Mortgage Charter on 26 June 2023.

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the Mortgage Charter on levels of (a) forbearance, (b) arrears and (c) repossessions.

Bim Afolami: The Government’s Mortgage Charter - in addition to the significant safeguards already in place - is providing support to vulnerable households, and mortgage arrears and repossessions remain low. On 22 March the Financial Conduct Authority published data on the uptake of the Mortgage Charter since July 2023. (https://www.fca.org.uk/data/mortgage-charter-uptake). More broadly, there is a wide variety of data and statistics about the mortgage market in the UK available from the Bank of England (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics), the Financial Conduct Authority (https://www.fca.org.uk/data) and UK Finance (https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/data-and-research/data).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Buildings: Safety

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many residents have been displaced from their homes due to (a) building safety evacuations and (b) fires that have spread to more than one floor due to building safety defects since 15 June 2017.

Lee Rowley: Major decants are a local operational matter, and decisions on enforcement action are made by local regulators, local authorities and Fire and Rescue Services.Where there are major decants, the department does offer support where appropriate, such as pressing building owners and developers to fulfil their obligations. Since December 2023 the department has assisted local regulators in preventing at least 800 residents from being decanted by identifying mitigating measures (such as a waking watch), allowing these residents to remain safely in their homes.

Leasehold: Reform

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Leasehold reforms give more rights and protections to homeowners, published on 27 November 2023, when he plans to bring forward legislative measures to amend the Building Safety Act 2022 to make it easier to ensure that those who caused building-safety defects in enfranchised buildings are made to pay.

Lee Rowley: Under Part 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022 leaseholders in enfranchised buildings, either individually or collectively, can pursue developers – and their associated companies – via a remediation contribution order, for funds they have spent or will spend remediating their buildings for relevant defects.We are building on the legislation brought forward by the Act. The Government has tabled several amendments for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to clarify and extend the protections in some specific areas. These amendments will further prevent freeholders and developers from escaping their liabilities to fund building remediation work – protecting leaseholders by allowing the Building Safety Act 2022 to operate as intended, as well as adding further protections in some specific scenarios.For example, we have made clear that a remediation contribution order can, among other things, order the landlord or developer to make payments for the costs of:steps which reduce the risk of a relevant defect;obtaining an expert report; and,temporary alternative accommodation and associated costs in connection with a decant from a building in connection with a relevant defect.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the number of homes in England that have the same type of cladding installed as the residential building in the Campanar neighbourhood of València which was engulfed by fire on 22 February 2024.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to undertake a lessons learned exercise from the residential building fire in Campanar, Valencia.

Lee Rowley: The UK Government and Fire Services have offered our assistance to the Spanish authorities of the lessons we have learned from the Grenfell Tower fire and our subsequent work. It is our intention to work with them to understand the precise details of the fire in Valencia and to consider what lessons might be learned.The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has been closely following the terrible event in Valencia. We understand that the investigations into the incident remain ongoing and BSR will continue to monitor any findings to ensure that any applicable learnings are made.

Holiday Parks: Marketing

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the potentially misleading marketing of homes on holiday parks as residential properties on consumers.

Lee Rowley: We expect that the marketing of all properties accords with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which prohibits misleading omissions of key information about the property.Estate agents’ compliance with the law is overseen by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agent Team, who can issue warning or banning orders to agents who fail to comply.Consumers should make sure they are clear about any restrictions on the property before purchasing, informed by checks on the property title carried out by their conveyancing solicitor before contracts are exchanged.

Private Rented Housing: Mortgages

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of (a) the number of private rented sector properties with an outstanding mortgage and (b) the cost per landlord of measures in the Renters' Reform Bill in the (i) short, (ii) medium and (iii) long term.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the reasons for private rented sector tenants becoming homeless.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of the timeframe for court digitisation being sufficiently progressed to allow for implementation of a ban on section 21 no fault evictions.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many entries are on the Database of Rogue Landlords and Property Agents as of 21 March 2024.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps is he taking to (a) promote the use of the Database of Rogue Landlords and Property Agents and (b) remind local authorities of their responsibilities in respect of this tool.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, who will have access to information on the Privately Rented Property Portal; and whether he plans to take steps to protect the privacy of tenants’ information stored on the Privately Rented Property Portal from other Departments and enforcement agencies.

Jacob Young: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is working with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Judiciary to drive improvements to the county court possession process.We will set out more details about our implementation plans in due course.Local authorities are under a duty to record any banning orders against landlords or property agents on the Database; and are responsible for uploading and maintaining records. Guidance for local authorities on the use of the database can be found here.Our latest data from the English Private Landlord Survey shows that in 2021, 57% of landlords had a buy-to-let mortgage. The impact assessment for the Renters (Reform) Bill is available online.The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics, including causes of homelessness. This includes a breakdown of the reported reason for homelessness for households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness due to end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The data is available here.Local authorities will have access to the full range of information recorded on the Property Portal. We do not have plans to record Tenants’ information on the Property Portal.

Buildings: Insurance

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in the Treasury on the potential merits of introducing a Government-sponsored building safety insurance pooling scheme.

Lee Rowley: The Government is very aware that leaseholders in some affected buildings have been burdened with paying extremely high premiums for too long. We have repeatedly called for an industry-led scheme.It has taken far too long but the Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility is due to launch on 1 April and the Government will monitor the implementation and impact of the Facility and will remain engaged with industry regarding whether any further steps may be required.